What's Wrong With the Fender Player Acoustasonic Telecaster?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2024
- The new(ish) Acoustasonic guitars from Fender have been polarizing from day one-- but surprisingly, the higher priced American version has done much better in the market than the lower priced Player series. Why is that? Take a listen to some of Chris' thoughts.
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Well, I just read through 55 comments and a lot of distain, if not overt anger, seems to be out there towards these Acoustasonic Fenders. I have a Strat and every time I plop it onto my lap, I just grin from ear to ear. It is light, comfortable to hold, and has a lovely unamplified tone, quiet but rich with dark mahogany overtones. And with a Fender Mustang GTX50, I easily get loads of modeled tones that fit well with rock, blues, jazz, and fingerpicking. Here’s a funny note, some players long for an acoustic with a 9.5” radius neck that feels like an electric. This is the opposite with a 12” radius that feels like an acoustic. It’s a crossover, crossing over the other way. No shame in that. Especially if you are used to the feel of an acoustic. So, if it gives you some odd pleasure, feel free to make fun of me and my quirky guitar. But, like Chris, I’m all for quirky, and for the right player out there, it’s a gas.
I have a Fender Stratacoustic. Made in china, so that says a lot, right there. But with a little tweaking, it sounds great plugged in. Still hasn't fallen apart..
I have a mia acoustasonic Stratocaster and I love it
I don’t understand all the hate with them
Mine is a natural and I think it’s beautiful
I’ve literally lost hours sitting down to practice for half an hour and the next thing I know it’s five hours later
It’s just that enjoyable in my opinion
Good on us. Still love mine. Had to make a chart of known guitars like a Martin D-28 and Gibson L-00 so I could remember the models better. Used a Yamaha LL-36 for the one with an Englemann top.
I bought the player tele acoustasonic the second I saw it coming out. I couldn’t justify the 2000 price tag for the American, so this was perfect for me. I’ve used it all year almost every weekend for my solo acoustic shows and it is FAN-TASTIC! I use an mx5 headrush straight to my pa and it sounds great. If it broke tonight I’d be at the store getting another one tomorrow. They are making a jazz master player acoustasonic and I’ll be the first in line for that. Highly recommended it if you are a solo artist.
I have a Player and love it. I prefer the 9v battery and the smaller number of sound options, and I don't think I would have paid for an American Acoustasonic. It still looks a little weird to me in the mirror, but it is the most comfortable and lightweight guitar I own, so I think I can adjust to the appearance.
Exactly - less is more on a guitar like this.
I just bought one this morning and it sounds great by itself or through the Mustang modeling amp. The $1200 price was at the top of my budget, so I'm happy with it. It gives me a lot of versatility and didn't break the bank.
I bought one of these when they first hit the market in late 2021- I actually love the sunburst I chose. I'm an acoustic-first player with 5 Taylors and a Bourgeois and I was admittedly enamored with the idea of having that electric versatility within the same guitar. It doesn't have a full-throated electric sound but it's adequate. I'm not a professional musician so I haven't yet found where it fits in my portfolio...It is incredibly comfortable to play and the construction is indistinguishable (IMO) from the American counterpart. That said, for someone who often plays for an audience of only my ears in my living room, the tone is just a bit hollow. However, After viewing this I have been motivated to pull this out of my guitar cabinet today and take it for a spin.
I have both acoustic and electric. I bought one of these and found it didn't do either satisfactorily even though the emulation electronics are supposed to be the best. Sold it on, as it didn't seem to fit well in either camp.
@@tokairic3925
Thank you for this 'important' imput. It's an early warning indeed.
You hit the nail on the head for me. It's too expensive. If this was at the $800 price point, I'd have been all over it. Make me a deal, and I'm in.
Agree, sub $1000, I'm interested. Also, maybe a professional can appreciate the versatility but for me as a novice it looks like a toy.
Alamo don't play like that...
Lotta used ones listed for under 1k on reverb.
Under 1k and I'm all over it 💯
Exactly
Id pay 8 not 12
I originally bought the strat version, wasn’t that happy with it and decided to take a punt on the player tele and I have to say I much prefer it.
It’s slightly heavier while still being light which I find more reassuring but also the sounds included are far more usable. There’s absolutely no reason why you need to have 6-8 acoustic models. You’re probably going to find one or two that you like and stick with them.
The two included in the player (position 3) cover everything.
The lo-fi position two sounds are incredibly badly marketed. Really they are the raw piezo sound like on the original stratacoustics with or without overdrive and are really really useful for solos and don’t sound lo fi at all. Having the eq or whatever wizardry they use to model a dread or parlour guitar isn’t appropriate for every gig or pedal/amp situation and having the untreated sound as an option is a real bonus. Far more useful than another rake of models you’ll never use.
The electric options in position one are exactly the same. So a no brainier there.
The one thing I ran into with all three acoustasonics I have played (tele, strat and player tele) is a problem with the screws inside coming loose and causing buzzing and distortion leading me to sending the strat back for a refund. That’s something fender need to get on top of double quick.
The one thing I miss vs the USA model is the body sensor pickup. That was the main reason I went with the USA first but found when I gigged with the guitar it wasn’t something that made me sound better in the context of the band.
I would love it in my player tele but turns it it wasn’t a deal breaker. If I want that more natural sound I reach for my anthem equipped real acoustic.
I wanted a JazzMaster, but couldn't justify the price. I jumped on the Player (black) when it was announced. It is very well made, plays great, the 3 way switch is easier to use, the 9v battery is a better design and it still comes with that terrific case. Yes, it could be less expensive. Yes, it could have better colors in my opinion. I love mine. I play every week in our Worship band with another acoustic player and it can fit into any sonic area that I want to use.
A worship band? What a waste for an instrument designed to play the devil's music.
How do you amplify the guitar when acoustic?
I dont know how but here in Indonesia the acoustasonic is rare, but they sell them for like 200$ here (for some reason the listings only pop up from my city, specifically a big instrument shop nearby who gets guitars from all over the place locally and imports outside guitars as well) and the reviews are decent. Pretty sure its a fake made by a local factory but the people who bought it only found minor cosmetic defects on it
@@andresgonzalezmaya9750It's meant to be played through an uncolored flat PA speaker due to the emulation.
Is yours the American made or the Mexican made? I'm trying to figure out which one has the 9 volt power supply
I think the best point he made was near the end when he said that it simply might be a case of market saturation. Everybody who wanted one bought one. Happens with a lot of products, especially niche market items like this guitar. Remember the AMC Pacer? it sold well when it first came out but sales fell off considerably after that. Everybody who wanted one bought one, there weren't any repeat buyers.
I didn't know that Fender came out with a Player version of the Acoustic! So, I agree with Chris that it's a combination of 1.) It slipped under most people's radar due to the pandemic. 2.) The relatively narrow $800 price difference and I think a big reason is the three-way switch on the player version versus the five way switch on the American version was a mistake on fenders part, because although the three position switch offers a lot of versatility, I think a lot of players want the full versatility of the five-way switch for only $800 more so that they can get the maximum versatility from these amazing instruments. Thanks for the video Chris I love your videos!
I'm a gigging musician that was looking for a Swiss-army knife style guitar as my reliable Taylor was digging into my arm after three hours. I was excited when Fender introduced the Mexican version but right before I pulled the trigger, they lowered the price of the American version to $1600 for a short time in December 2021. That was a no brainer so I bought the American version. It's not perfect but for particular venues (outdoors mainly) it's pretty close. I also bought a Builder's Edition Taylor with a body contour that allows me to play it for hours but it was expensive and outdoor gigs near the ocean have me leaving it home and bringing the Fender. All in all the Fender is an excellent guitar, provides all the tones I need and can easily be played for hours.
These guitars look amazing but I've never heard a tone coming out of them that made me even consider spending $2k or even $1k for one.
ditto
The are Horrible in person, I havent heard a good one out of the 10 Ive played so i quit searching
@@bigbromiki1 three very active local musicians each have one and they love them. And they sound fantastic at their shows.🤷🏽♂️
@@44scoots ive changed my mind, i came acros a lightly used jazzmaster acoustisonic for $1000 and it sounds great conpared to the tele and strat ones i played. So i bought it
For me it came down to the body pickup in the American version which IMO provides a more natural acoustic sound, along with the additional blending options.
Hey Chris... Love your channel. I suspect that the majority of guitar players are traditionalists, and are somewhat skeptical about hybrid guitars. I, for one, prefer to modify my sound (be it acoustic or electric) with outboard gear, as there is a plethora of fantastic pedals, processors, and modeling amps out there that enable a guitarist to do so.
Granted, having the ability to modify one’s sound directly with a hybrid guitar such as the Fender Acoustisonic may seem compelling at first, however I think that the novelty of this may wear off rather quickly. One could argue that, currently, outboard gear would give a guitarist as much or more versatility than onboard modeling technology.
More importantly, it’s likely that in 10 years or so, a hybrid instrument like the Acoustisonic will be somewhat obsolete due to advancing technology, and the cost of replacing failed components (like the internal circuit board) will equal or exceed the used value of the instrument.
One needs to look no further than the keyboard synthesizer industry to realize this fact.
Proprietary components, no standardization of parts, non-user serviceability, no long term product support, and a paucity of service centers and/or technicians willing or able to repair these instruments. It’s called planned obsolescence.
One of the great thing about guitars (acoustic and electric) has always been that none of the aforementioned points holds true. Until now, that is...
Do you need a new nut and saddle for your 1939 Martin acoustic ? No problem. Bone, Tusq...? You got it. Do you want to replace the pickups and machine heads on your 1980 Ibanez solid body electric ? The options are practically endless. And with a little knowledge, you can do these things yourself. These attributes are what people have always loved about guitars.
Good luck replacing the internal circuit board on a Fender Acoustisonic if and when it fails in 10-20 years. It’s doubtful that you’ll be able to obtain one from Fender at that time. If you are able to obtain one on the internet, what do you think the repair cost will be in comparison to the used value of the instrument ?
I’d be leery about buying a hybrid guitar.
I have one and love it! If you pick one up and play it unplugged in a store it will not sound great. BUT - if you plug it in to a decent acoustic amp or PA and you can actually play well, them you will love it. 😍. Now let’s talk about all the acoustic guitars that sound crap when you plug them in… and my god there are a lot of those around. 😱
Probably due to the pandemic and out of control inflation. I really like the Fender Player Acoustasonic Telecaster. Might get myself one for my birthday next month. Lots of hate for this guitar already posted. Oh well, haters gotta hate.
Howdy Chris🖐🏼😃; I picked up one of these about a month ago as a last minute replacement for my 2013 Martin HD28 (it was starting to rain and tho it was an indoor gig, I didn't really want to get it out in the moisture...) Took my new Telecoustic and my little Fishman Loudbox Mini to the gig; no time to test it out at the store (walked into the store, saw it on the wall, bought it and walked out), so I was depending on Fender's rep as a quality instrument. Long story short, it played and sounded like a million bucks at the gig, got compliments from the pickers in the room, and that was even before I realized that I'd bought an MIM 'Player'. Don't know what could be functionally different between it and a US model, so I consider it a pretty economical purchase (not to mention that it paid for itself at the gig!) I'll give it a thumbs-up👍
I was really excited about the Acoustatonic Player Tele until I got my hands on one at a local Guitar Center. First it was very light. Almost felt like a toy. Then the action was higher than Willie Nelson as they say. Finally, the sound unplugged was horrible. I'm still going to buy one. Probably this week.
Did you buy it? If so, any regrets?
I came to the same decision as you did, Being that it came out in the first week or so, of the pandemic.
This did not help at all, most were concerned how they were going to afford to feed themselves.
Let alone buy new equipment. The fact that it drew out 3 years not just the first year. I was one of the guys
that purchased one of the Accoustasonics, mine is also blond w/ mahogany body, I just love this guitar,
Ive owned many guitars and this was my first electric, not one with a pick-up also. I still love it, thanks for
the great work you guys do on your you-tube channel. Have a great week Chris, stay safe and be careful.
I just started playing guitar - and just bought one of these. Loving the heck out of it so far!
Good points, Chris. I guess from Fender’s pt of view this is not so much a problem. Sell more of the more up-market, high margin version = Win/ win. (In a traditional brand-building perspective ..) I like the style, considering it.
I have one and love it. I’m using a katana mk|| 100w amp. I can gently finger pick in a band and not be drowned out by lead guitars
Don’t mind the look of all of them. My fav is the Telecaster! The only thing I do not like on them is the acoustic type bridges. I’d love to see a 6 Saddle metal plate bridge with the same type of electronics.
It needs the acoustic bridge for the transducer. Otherwise it's just modelled guitar sounds.
My biggest problem with the player is that it doesn't have the body sensing pickup and that is really important to me. (I also prefer the jazzmaster shape) I would consider buying it if it had that feature.
The body pickup is neccesary for percussive techniques right?
@@alfredosierra2612 yes
Bingo. If I'm going to pay 2k for that feature, I might as well buy a Maton or Cole Clark, and call it a day.
@@cebrinpittsthe 2 thousand dollar version has it, the MIM $1,200 dollar version doesn't
@ConditionZero76 That's what I said. If I'm going to pay 2k to have that feature, I'd buy a Cole Clark and skip this creation entirely. Just my preference.
I own a Mexican Acoustasonic Tele and bought it when they came out. I am a Worship Director and play acoustic guitar every week. I could play my Taylor, one of three Martins, an Alvarez Yairi, or any number of electircs I own, but every Sunday I go to the Tele Acoustasonic. Acoustic sounds only for me; and I only use the volume knob).
I have it strung with acoustic strings and run through an acoustic pre-amp/DI.
With the compressor, EQ, and reverb dialed in for this guitar, it just can't be beat on sound and playability.
It's a rock solid instrument with a sound comparable to those several times its pricepoint.
I watched your video because I am thinking of trading some stuff to get the American Acoustasonic Tele.
I bought one today looks pretty cool to me . Thanks for the review.
Hey there from Austria! I just bought the American version the day it came out and I‘m happy with all the features it has. As mentioned before the body sensor is to me more than a gimmick, it gives sometimes the missing warmth on stage. As a gigging guitarist I also like the variaty of sounds cause each stage/PA sounds different. It would be so great if Fender gives us the chance to update and fine tune the sounds by USB firmware tweaking. 😊 As a backup the Mexican could be an option but I totally agree that it is pricely placed to high compared to the bigger sister.
I love mine - LOVE it. I have a buddy who has one each of the American Acoustasonics. They are great. Mine is wonderful, lower priced, sounds amazing, the 9v battery does not quit and - ehhh... - I'm fine with two fewer noodling settings. As a gigging musician, I usually will only make one or two adjustments. I have a row of Teles, Strats, Les Paul. But this is starting to take the place of my trusty Breedlove in a live situation.
First off: I love the candid and inquiring nature of this video! So refreshing! Now come (lengthy) remarks by me as a normally acoustic-only performer who has bought BOTH tele versions of this guitar, and no longer owns either version (and no, it‘s not because I didn‘t love a lot about them, but in the end, details count….). First bought the American version, as a first-minute adopter here in Germany. Cost me a lot, but I was willing to pay it because I wanted to add a bit of electric (or electric-like) sound to my acoustic set and still have the opportunity to play acoustically (or acoustic-like). This was intended to help me cover my wide range of covers in a more authentic way, but without having to look like an all-out electric player (or to have the limitations of an electric-only guitar). At first, I loved the American Tele version, also for its superb playability all the way up the neck. Sure beat my acoustics on that count! But after a few months and the birth of my twin boys (at the age of 60, folks!), I ended up playing guitar a lot less and decided to reduce my guitar park considerably. Was still hanging on to the Fender, though, even though I was not always happy with the often rather „sharp“ digital modeling of the acoustics it fakes, plus the sometimes too percussive (compressed) attack on fingerpicking with no picks. Still loved it somehow….until I heard about the cheaper Mexican version coming up. Was immediately interested, thinking I could maybe sell my American one and still have a halfway decent Acoustasonic for occasional use. After watching countless YT reviews and sound samples, I concluded that the modeling of the stripped-down version actually pleased me more than that of the original! Sounded a bit warmer and less brittle to me on the acoustic models, and less muddy and boring on the electric models. So I ordered one to try, and it was great in almost every way. Felt like the original, looked great, had the modeling sounds I actually preferred, and I actually preferred the new (and fewer) switching options. One big thing led me to return it, though, after only 2 days: Neck squeak! Apparently the wood used on the neck is less dense than on the American version, which had a bit of neck squeak (pickup sound), but by far not as much. This really got on my nerves, since sliding chords up and down the neck called way too much attention to the sliding, and less to the chords. After returning it, I also (finally) sold my American version for more than the price of the Mexican one, just to free up space and cash for my babies, and gigging wasn‘t happening anyhow (as you pointed out). Incidentally also sold off several other guitars of mine, and downsizing sure feels good! ;-) Now flirting with the new Jazzmaster version, since it seems to have an even better „acoustic“ sound than the Tele, but I just can‘t warm up to the shape…. Back to your observations: I think you‘re right about the pandemic having been a major reason, and also market saturation by early adopters like me. The slice of the market interested in making compromises in sound in exchange for the Fender‘s versatility is probably rather small, and simply got met by the company‘s initial offerings. But there is another very big thing that Fender has totally missed the boat on!!! Instead of just releasing various new body shapes with different pickup and modeling combinations (all a good thing,
of course) or making cheaper versions, they also need to innovate (!) the guitar to make it appeal to a much wider (!) audience, well beyond niche players/buyers like myself! How? Easy: Instead of force-feeding buyers with models that are permanently baked into the firmware, let them choose other models (also online) for loading and using as they please!!!! Fender is trying to sell a „versatile“ guitar to folks, and to win buyers from both camps (electric and acoustic), but not sincerely trying to offer the kind of tonal versatility possible in this day in and age. By making the firmware tweakable, they’d totally woo the market!!! Guess that option would only work on the American models, though, since only they have USB ports - but then again, I suppose those are only hardwired for charging and can’t be multipurposed. How silly of Fender! They missed the point when first releasing these guitars, and still haven‘t chosen to innovate on any of the successors. Oh, and one more thing: Give players a tone knob, too! So, that‘s my two (or fifty) cents.
I just bought a black one. It arrives in two days. I'm glad to see in your video here that the acoustic sound doesn't sound bad. I am planning on using it to make a video, and don't have a good place to record an acoustic guitar with a mic at the moment, so I'm hoping that it will work for my purpose. And I think it will. I didn't know that this existed until I was looking around, and found a Christmas deal on one. I guess I'll let you know how it works out. Cheers!
okay? reflections after a year?
@@sdriza Hi, it arrived damaged. :-( Something loose inside... the mounting for the pickup. Whatever holds the pickup in place was loose, and rattling around. Sweetwater sent me another one... which was very nice, and played well. Unfortunately, I only played the guitar a few times and recently had to sell it. A year ago I was putting in 20 hours of overtime every week, so I never got around to making the video which was the reason for buying the guitar to begin with. I lost my job 4 months ago... and now have sold 3 of my prize possession guitars... and also the Fender. I only have one great guitar left... a Yamaha SBG2000. I sold a beautiful Gibson Les Paul Standard, a brand new Schecter 7 string, and my beloved PRS. :-( I did like the Fender though... I just didn't really get to give it a fair chance.
At $800 bucks I might bite, and opt for one. At $1,200, and just a casual player, I'm not sure I would go that high with it. To me, while I recognize these guitars have their place, I never viewed them as primary band instruments, but something to accompany the primary stuff, and maybe do a song or two with them in your sets. That said, I detected a bit of Gibson-ish sounds there similar to their solid body that you can see Travis Tritt playing with on Tube. So it's a cool instrument with options, but look at what's coming. The competition with these things will keep increasing, and everyone will be looking for that next best more realistic, more featured instrument. They already have effects in them, loopers, it's amazing, and will just get more interesting as they progress.
I have not tried an acoustasonic, but once I held the Gretsch 2655t, Jr model so it's a little bit smaller, and felt how much easier it was to play for me and that I can play it for longer periods of time I decided that I already have the guitar that I want to spend the rest of my life with.
I’ve got mine since 2 months now,and after playing a few gigs with it,i really love the guitar...
I just went to a store that had both Player and American versions and was able to compare the two. I tell ya... I was on the fence for a while. The fit and finish and feel are so close that that should NOT be much of a concern. Both very close in build quality. The neck and fretwork on the American has a slight edge. The Player setup needed a bit adjusted namely the truss action but no biggie. The difference in sound and price was the deciding factors for me. The sound quality is very good as I went thru an electric and an acoustic amp on both. Without going into too much detail... The American version edges out the Player a bit. If the American is a 10 then the Player is like an 8. The versitilty however of the American is a real plus for more sounds to choose from. Then there is the price factor. About a $700 difference. I could afford the extra $700 and yet I almost went with the Player as close as it was. I think its a matter as mentioned of affording the edge in sound and versatility of the American. IMHO it may not necessarily be needed and thus no real reason to go with the American. If you can afford the extra $700 easily then go with the American but if you want a good sounding quality guitar in this catagory then the Player is a fine instrument to own...
I own an early Godin Acousticaster and have always scratched my head why so many folks discounted their existence.
The initial wave of Acoustasonic and the success of them in North America surprised me. Maybe a little bemused and bitter that Fender got more instant recognition on this front then Godin.
I have no idea why the more gig worker priced version Tele didn't sell. IMO, this is a buskers perfect instrument, though the price might still be higher then the market will bear.
Agreed, I thought much better executed. I had one for a few years
Those look pretty cool! Idk if it's the same model but there's a south paw one on reverb for 600$ or so and it has a Big Gangsta Clown Head on the body. Makes me laugh every time.
I have a Godin Acousticaster as well. I’m thinking about getting this fender. Do you think I would really need both? I do gig a lot and I would be using this for live shows.
@@clebo99 Godin sounds hands down better in person
@@bigbromiki1 thanks. I’ll stick with that then.
The American ones are now easily obtained at what the player series was priced at. I picked up the US tele acoustasonic today for half of the original price brand new. It goes to show these were over priced and the market responded. I'm happy with my 1k purchase of the US version and see the players ones selling for 600 or so now.
I was very tempted to get one of these to begin with. In the end though, while I quite liked the acoustic sounds, I was really unconvinced by the electric sounds. All you’re getting is a pretty thin sounding Tele bridge pickup, and to that end you may as well get a decent Tele instead.
That said, I can still see the appeal of this guitar and who it might cater to more. But I certainly wouldn’t say there’s nothing wrong with it.
I can't see the appeal but i see a lot of people do
I love my American acoustasonic tele. All 5 switch positions are useful. The internal battery is a much better than a 9v battery. Just add a USB charger to your rig and charge it on the stand. It's ideal for a looping because of it's versatility.
It's the price, I got a Blacktop Strat MiM in 2011 new for around 500 and I love it and play it often. It was the best guitar I could afford at the time and it was the best one at that price pt. If the MiM prices have gone up that much in the last 11 years means I cannot afford that line anymore either. I would pay 5 or 600 for even this lower quality example. I have never been well off enough to get any instrument over 500 dollars, and I knew I would never own an Am Strat, but it was OK cause Mexico had my back. Now, 1200 is way out of my league for this even though I would love to have one.
I saw online DEF Leappard was playing an acoustasonic live.
I think you’re right about the release being during the pandemic. Given that it’s a different type of guitar, I think I’d want to try one in a guitar shop before buying whereas something like a Telecaster which is a more known quantity I’d feel more comfortable ordering online. $1200 is quite a lot for a guitar that you might not be sure if it’s for you or not
It $1800 here in Australia :/ I sill want one though 😂
But instrument sales went through the roof during the pandemic 🤔
@@officialWWM People were just picking up guitar for the first time, they weren't buying 1200 dollar guitars that don't have very many reviews lmfao.
@@watersnortmoment3734 not here in Australia! It was all the expensive “brand name” guitars that were flying off the shelves! The cheap stuff that comes out of Asia wasn’t available.
I love the versatility. Really attracted to it. I think it might suit my needs and interests well. I think I have been put off by issues like what amplification maximizes the range of options on this guitar? Do I have to invest in a new amp as well? Having that versatility and unique sound, knowing me, it would take me a good while to really explore before finding my sweet spots .....or not...:( Doubly confusing needing to learn both Player and American models to see what it is I would be missing with the player, or with the American, if I really need to spend the extra money for options i would rarely or ever use.
Thanks to this video I am a little closer to looking into it.
This video basically informed me that there even WAS a player Acoustasonic. I was looking at the American ones before I ended up getting a strat, but I also think that the price difference is an impact, if I’m saving for a 1,200 guitar, I could wait a little longer and get the better features one for 2K.
i think the whole point of the video is to advertise that there IS a player Acoustasonic. Idk why anyone wants to spend the money for one of these personally. american or otherwise
@@trout3685 that’s a very good point you being up, I see the value in having this guitar as a practice guitar so you can play around with a wide range of tones as you dial in a particular sound. Does it do either in a performance worthy way? Is it worth it for a musician just starting and unable to afford multiple guitars or would it be better to buy a mid range electric and a mid range acoustic for the same price?
@@SMCarignan I think cheap acoustics and cheap electric guitars are perfectly fine these days. This guitar is for specialized markets imo. it's not meant to satisfy a person who wants and acoustic and electric guitar. I mean for one it's not an acoustic if you ask me. Plugged in it might have good acoustic tone but unless you plan on playing plugged in all the time i would just get a regular acoustic. And as far as electrics go, a tele or strat would be all you really need. even squires aren't bad. Buying them individually will give you way more bang for your buck and allow you to play all sorts of music. To me this guitar is very specialized for someone who does lots of live shows or something and needs that specific tone. If I were reccomending a new person a guitar I'd say a taylor 110e and maybe a 600 dollar strat or something. You can even get a less expensive acoustic or electric if you need to budget more. Squires are not bad i've heard some really good players play squires and make them sound killer.
Great review, I have had mine for a couple of weeks and I`m very impressed with it. I feel there are enough sound options for me so the American version isn`t worth the extra money. Once I used the micro tilt to adjust the action this became one of the most comfortable and playable guitars I have. As I`m almost 70 the light weight of the guitar is also important. Well done Fender !!
I waited until the Acoustasonic Jazzmaster and I believe it’s worth the price I paid for it . I believe the Mexican version is a good instrument also. Like you said there’s nothing wrong with it.
It seems like any time Fender or Gibson go outside the box- it's usually met with skepticism and disdain for a certain period of time. I'm surprised that Fender has committed a lot of capital into a dedicated facility in Ensenada for this. I just don't think they are going to sell well right now. But, wait a few years after their discontinued and let's see what happens.
Personally, as a person that doesn't play a lot of acoustic- this is a very good option. I use it for my home recording- but optimally anyone that does small gigs, busks, etc. should find value in something like this. Maybe Fender should work on endorsing some street musicians and marketing it towards them. As far as it sounding bad- I think a lot of people don't get it. It sounds pretty damn convincing as an acoustic, and it has the potential to sound great on the electric side as well. I especially think the lo-fi setting is pretty cool- and with the help of a few effects you can make it sound however you want. There are a lot of clever musicians that are going to find ways of taking advantage of what it can do. That's why I love it when guitar companies come out with something different, it tends to lead to new ideas in music.
Oh my god... its... intelligence... !
I had one. Its well made and very well set up and comfortable to play. My problem was that it didn't seem to emulate an acoustic well enough. The blend between the two acoustic settings doesn't do justice to either of the acoustic sounds. I have 000 Martin and J-45 Gibson which are the two ends of the spectrum this is supposed to emulate. Not even close. The best acoustic sound to me was about half way blended. The only sound which was close was on the tele pickup set to a gain position, but again not too impressive. Mine whether played through an acoustic or electric amp didn't have the gain sound of the one in the video.
I couldn't bond with it and it had to be sold. Better off having a good acoustic (eg Martin) and a fairly good tele. (Anything reasonably good not necessarily Fender).
Another small point - the gig bag is really good, however it is too big for the guitar which slides around inside it - shame, and the hardcase available is very expensive.
I own this model and am very happy with the purchase. Versatile instrument
I am not in the market for this type of guitar. But if I were, I surely would NOT like one with a rechargeable built in battery, for fear of it crapping out on me in the middle of a performance. One of the things that I like about my Yamaha Transacoustic guitar is that it takes 2 x AA batteries, which are easily obtainable and can be swopped over in seconds. I have the same thought about the Mexican variant of this Fender.
I think you hit the nail on the head as far as the price and the difference in the sounds available for $1200.
Why would I want to reduce my amount of gear!?
They don't look good
They don't sound like a good acoustic or a good electric
Being released during the pandemic isn't an excuse at all...there was unprecedented guitar demand at the time, as you noted
@A I have glasses
Just snagged that same ButterScotch Blonde Player Telecaster for $500 in Mint condition on Reverb. I chose the Player model for the 9 Volt
I own the twin of the MIM tele Acoustasonic that you are playing. It does exactly what I purchased it for! Awesome instrument!
I love the look of all the Acoustasonics. 🤣
I always LOVED the look of the aoustasonic telly. especially the sound hole
I have a black one, bought it as soon as it was released . The reason I chose the cheaper option is I play a lot of low pay gigs. And stopped gigging with expensive guitars long ago. I once had a very expensive guitars finish marred by an inebriated audience member. Lesson learned no expensive guitars on stage! The acoustasonic Telecaster gives me acoustic sounds without worrying about feedback. It is currently the most expensive guitar I gig with. I try to stay under 1k, luckily there are a lot of options.
That was a great, informative, commentary on a cool instrument. I think, at a $1000.00 price point, these guitars would sell. Even if they had to "cheapen" the tuners, pots, switches a little to hit the right cost of production to do it.
The main negative I have with these (I have an American tele) is that if you want to enjoy the tones you need the crank up the amp loud enough to drown out the sound coming out of the sound hole. Not an issue if you’re performing but for noodling on the couch it’s not ideal.
The things that cause me to stay away from the American and Player Acoustisonic:
1. Circuit board electronics could be unreliable and expensive to replace. It’s worthless without the electronics.
2. Reports of the tops cracking.
3. It does many things but none of them really well.
4. The bridge pickup looks like a Hitler mustache 🤣.
I’m not going to be able to unsee that now
I’m very interested in these guitars as I play mostly acoustic shows these days. I’ve been watching them ever since they came onto the market. I have not played one but I’ve listened to tons of different videos and I love the versatility. The thing preventing me from purchasing the player model which I feel is perfect for my needs is the price. I would be more apt to buy one if it was in the $700-$800 range. Very informative video by the way. I’ve been playing over 50 years and always looking for new stuff.
I have 12 high end guitars including the white version of this and what I call it’s sister, a Nashville Player Plus, bought the same week.. The Nashville is amazing, so is my Jem, and the Strats. Etc etc… by FAR the guitar I play every single day and hate the most to leave at the house is THIS ONE! The Player Acoustasonic is such an excellent playing and feeling guitar . The acoustic sounds are great, even the middle position ( lo-fi) is amazing , especially with the gain rolled half way up. And obviously the Tele positions are both killer. The thing with this guitar is that it inspires you to write and to play, and to get better at playing because you’re playing leads on an acoustic! I can run it through an Acoustasonic amp, and even throw on a TS-9 just for shits and giggles, and it’s the most fun to play by FAR. Or, I can run it through a tube amp and crank the gain and hit all the pinch harmonics I want. I cannot beg you enough to do yourself the biggest favor you ever did as a guitarist and get one of these! The percussiveness that you can get when you play it with gain is just awesome. I could go on and on, if you’re serious about guitar and you want one with endless creative potential, this is the one. Period.
Great video. I am a leftie and there is 1 (one) type\finish available in the Acoustasonic range - simply not enough Fender.
Are you telling me that the tone quality in the MIM is equal to that of the American? Same electronic components and quality inside?
I like your style of reviews. Very authentic.
I bought my Acoustasonic before the Player model was out. But if it had been out, I think I probably still would’ve gotten the USA model. But I’m not sure. The price of the Player is too high to make it an easy decision. If the Player model had been around, I might still be stuck in indecision and not have either yet.
I bought a used tele player acoustasonic.
It started out as a try, then I went back to my local shop to try it again.
After the third time I had to buy it.
Now I’m in the market for the Jazzmaster version but I’m torn between American or Player.
I’d love to stretch for the full blown version.
I’m not a performer, just an enthusiast. But find my self playing the tele a good portion of the time, despite many guitars in my arsenal.
My daughter gives me all kinds of crap because she thinks it’s ugly, yet has no problem “borrowing” it for hours on end.
It’s a keeper for me.
Great video Chris! I love mine. I'm sure there was a lot of the same misconception when Telecasters, Les Pauls and Stratocaster came out. It almost too simple when something like this comes out and people overthink it, without just trying one to see if it's a good fot for them. If the shoe fits...
They need to cut the price down & besides the Thinner Body makes it more comfortable. It sounds a bit like the Iconic Martin Backpacker Guitar but more refined.
Very good breakdown of the features and comparison to the other model. IMO they are both overpriced and that is hurting the sales, (I think they should make them overseas and price the models at $8 & 12 hundred) but for someone who wants to "travel light" to gigs, I can see the appeal, at whatever cost. I'm going to need more than one guitar in any case, so I would just as soon take the gear that will 'actually' make me happy with my presentation.
In Australia the price difference is substantial, from my local store they have the MIMs priced at $1760 vs the MIAs at $3200, not sure the MIAs are worth paying almost double the price. I will have to go play both and see.
Today is the 4th of July! Everyone is running sales. I bought the Shadow Burst Player Telecaster Acoustasonic yesterday for $1000. I also bought a Seymour Duncan single coil Humbucker to put in it because a friend of mine has one set up like that and it is an incredible upgrade. Happy Independence Day Americans!
Thinks for the review. I played one at my local store (not the BigBox one) and bought it.
I am not a professional guitarist but I am very happy with the Mexican Accoustasonic and having to watch my purse I specifically chose the cheaper one. Very pleased with it. My guitar teacher also played on it and thinks it is great.
I’m over here in Australia. I think you’ve nailed it. Well done 👍 🇦🇺
A nice presentation and I might add, very well spoken too!
I own an American acustasonic tele and it’s absolutely awesome.
I played a dozen different ones at GC before picking this obvious winner. To be honest it was the “Player” version that sold me on the American model.
The differences were night and day when played back to back and easily outweighed the price difference.
I’m not sure why that is exactly, probably a number of factors but the difference is obvious when played back to back.
It’s not just the added versatility… it’s the “tone” and the feel.
It’s just better.
The Mexican ones seemed a bit dark and muddy to both me and my friend but the American one was brighter and more articulate and just felt better as well.
I’m still on the fence about the rechargeable usb battery as I know these batteries are destined to fail at some point and playing a gig while plugged into a charging system with an extra long usb cord is not ideal. (My fault I didn’t check the charge before the gig).
I think I would prefer just having a 9v battery I can easily replace when it dies like on the Mexican version.
Perhaps a mod is in my future.
Thanks for this info Richard. In the market for one myself but want ALL the versatility it can possibly give me.
Disagree,
I can't hear a difference between the mexi or American.
I recently purchased a new Player Acoustasonic. I liked it until the rearward switch position (noisless) developed an intermittant short. It will work sometimes, and then no sound. But the other two positions still work.
I have had it at two repair shops and no one can figure it out. It's under warranty, but there are no authorized repair shops any closer than a ful day's drive from where I live. I am really sorry that I bought it!
I never see these out in the wild, so where are they being used?
Something you just said in passing helped me understand these Acoustisonic guitars. I hadn’t realized the electric sounds included modeling of the overdrive and amp/speaker. So I questioned how useful they could be… thinking if it were plugged into a PA the electric side would sound bad and visa versa for the acoustic side. Might be worth another look. Although the one in the shop by me is set up so poorly it isn’t playable.
I bought the MIM 3-way switch version because I simply didn't need/want 6 or 7 different acoustic body style guitars when I'm playing live. All I needed was an acoustic A/B, and blended A/B and an electric A/B to add dimension to my live sound. The player acoustasonic tele does it for me.
I think it has to do with the fact that every single one that i have played in store has the sharpest frets of ANY guitar that I have ever played. I refuse to pay the $1,299 price tag for a guitar than I will immediately have to dump an extra $75 to $100 for setup and fret dress.
I love this Guitar. I've had it almost a year.
I was certainly I interested in the line when introduced. However, I was not particularly impressed with the acoustic modeling. That being said, in a live setting in a band it could be passable.
Price is another matter. I think they are overpriced, be it American or imported. For that money you can get a great electric and acoustic guitar.
@A which is what makes us all individuals, sorry if I offended your sensibilities for a product....sheesh...
@@BobPerrone 👍
Has Fender laid-off staff? If so, why? I've got an Ultra Plus on order and the ETA is late Spring. What's going on? Has the amazing success of the PRS Silver Sky SE had an impact maybe?
Just picked up a MX one - on sale for $999. I find it ugly to be sure, but for a couch player who can’t decide between an electric or acoustic- it’s a great tool. Great video.
Big name artist sponsorship is all it needs. I love my JM Limited American in Black Paisley.
I know a gigging musician who likes to travel light. He also is very particular about his sound, especially his acoustic guitar. He has one of these and uses it situationaliy and seems pleased with the results..
I find them interesting but have no need.
@KevinHedin said it best, "They don't look good.
They don't sound like a good acoustic or a good electric."
1 year after this video I didn't know these existed and from talking to others it seems most people don't. This is a very cool guitar, I was just talking to someone the other day and we suggested Fender should bring out an Acoustasonic with only these three positions. Hehe, Fender already did. 🤣
Very good presentation. I am going to investigate into this guitar. I do like what you have shown me. Thank you Alamo Music.
Really glad to see they made a Player model, but I think you’re right - the killer for the Player is that it’s still priced too high (and too close to the American made models, with more features and re-sale value). I’d guess Fender would have to price the Player around $899 in order to swing calculus in its direction - but maybe they’re just as happy to upsell people
I use it through a PA sounds great. Got mine on Reverb for 529.00 Used. When I got it I was shocked on the sounds tone are better when hearing in person.
I’m about to take the plunge on an acoustasonic for 2024. As a gigging musician this will really serve my needs to add some tonal versatility to an acoustic duo. An eq pedal, reverb and a PA and I’ll be good to go. Admittedly I am considering the American version because if I’m going to get one, I may as well just stick it on finance and get the full range of tones.
I got the Jazzmaster model and I love it. The only drawback is I wish it had a tremolo bar or something similar. I know that would be nearly impossible with that Fishman bridge pick up system. I think it would be cool but I guess I’ll just have to go to my regular jazzmaster for surf.
I picked up one and was pleasantly surprised how light and comfortable it was , but I am left handed and did not actually play it,
Are they left handed consumer friendly?
Yes there is a lh verison
I'm intrigued by this guitar. I've owned (and loved) a handful of MIM Fender guitars, my Vintera 50s tele being my favorite. It's the perfect mix of quailty and value. But the
Your op-ed is right on the "money". With the slight price increase for the next step up more versatile model. In my personal playing, it would see minimal stage use. That being said, I'll wait for the Squire version
I have the American version and I love it. I think it looks real good and I don't understand why some don't like it's looks... it is something different and I think that is a good thing.
Seems no mention of the failing lead to piezo, requiring some skilled repair, and possible warranty problem if done DIY!
I didn’t even know that there was a player version of these until a few days ago. They have not been advertised at all here in Australia that I know of.